When we created SimplifyNYC, we knew that recycling was an important topic for us. It fit nicely into the declutter, organize, and clean philosophy. We just did not know exactly how we wanted to discuss it.
After working with many clients in NYC, we discovered that everyone had questions about what is recyclable and what is not. One client said to us, “You can’t put greasy pizza boxes in the green recycling bin. They cannot be recycled.” Another client insisted that plastic/ glass containers had to be emptied and cleaned before dropping them into the blue bin. When we decluttered a family's home and had bags of clothes for donation, we were left with tons of hangers and an unanswered question; where exactly do they go now? There were even a few buildings that had very specific bins, more than just blue and green, requesting that you recycle in a way that was beyond unnecessary. It made it very confusing and tenants really didn’t understand what they were doing.
We decided to take a trip to the SIMS Recycling Center. We wanted to have first-hand knowledge of how NYC was recycling and pass that knowledge on to our clients. So we gathered several of our close friends and we embarked on a day trip to Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
On our way from the subway to the facility, we walked directly through Industry City. If you are unfamiliar, Industry City is a creative campus of experiences, eateries, events and everything in between. We grabbed coffee and found a few spots for lunch before we continued walking toward the giant wind turbine (NYC’s first) that marks the entrance to the center.
Situated on an 11-acre pier, the recycling center is a MRF which stands for: Material Recovery Facility. It is the largest and most sophisticated plant for commingled residential recyclables in North America, possibly the world! The facility opened in December 2013 and processes the majority of New York City’s commingled curbside material.
When we arrived, we were welcomed by our tour guides Kara Napolitano (Education and Outreach Coordinator) and Michelle Edid (Education Asistant) who graciously answered all of our eager questions on what can or can’t be recycled. They led us through fun, educational, interactive displays that showed the journey of recyclable items.
The process begins in your home by separating paper, plastic, glass and metal. One helpful phrase they taught us was “If it’s the same, it should remain. If it’s not pop the top.” For example, an almond milk carton that we had been putting in the green (paper/cardboard) bin, is actually lined with plastic material. That is why it has a plastic top! So you can leave the lid on and place it in the blue (plastic/glass/metal) bin. Any of those cartons or cardboard containers that you think are paper but have a plastic top go in the blue bin. “Pop the top” when you have glass jars with a metal lid. It is helpful during the sorting process at the recycling center when those materials are separated. They can both still go in the blue bin!
What goes in Green Bin:
- Paper
- Cardboard (YES, greasy pizza boxes can go in, just remove the crusts!)
- Mail and magazines
What goes in Blue Bin:
- #5 Plastics: yogurt cups, butter tubs
- Glass bottles and jars (clean them out if you can, but it’s not necessary!)
- Cans & jugs
- Nespresso Pods (A special sorting machine was funded by Nespresso specifically for NYC!)
- NYC can recycle anything that is at least 50% metal, including appliances, but if they have Freon you have to schedule an appointment pickup
What you CAN’T recycle:
- “Tanglers”: plastic bags, hoses, cords, wires, and chains
- “Sharps”: needles and syringes
- Broken glass
- Soft plastics like candy wrappers
- Blankets, rugs, tarps
- Rubber items
- Batteries or electronics
(Remember— If you are reading this article and are not a New York City resident, then you should check with your local community recycling guidelines of what is accepted.)
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After you leave the education center, you walk outside and cross a bridge to what is, in fact, the most astounding part of the tour; a mountain of plastics, glass, metals. The colossal pile is just one of many collected throughout the day. Its vastness is exciting at first and then you realize that you have contributed to this. You start to evaluate your relationship to recycling. This moment is what SimplifyNYC is all about. Take responsibility for your stuff, even your trash!
Don’t think of recycling any differently than you think about decluttering your home or organizing your closet. It is all about responsibility. What do you consume and where does it go? We believe that you have a relationship with all things that find their way into your home, your life. That applies to waste too. We believe that you should have a RE-lationship with your RE-cycables and RE-use as much as possible. Don’t apologize for your trash! Take RE-sponsibility for it.
Make a day trip to Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Visit the recycling center and have lunch at Industry City. Taking care of the environment by educating yourself and your loved ones can be fun! Fall tours through December 2022 are booked. However, their winter calendar, January through March 2023, will open on November 30th at 4:00 pm. They continue offering virtual tours to groups of all ages and multiple areas of interest.
America Recycles Day is on November 15th, a day to reflect on how recycling has grown from a grass roots initiative to an entire industry! Having kids involved in separating “green bin” and “blue bin” items will create a generation of conscious human beings.
Hello. We are Caleb and Cole. We each share a passion for organization and cleansing the home. We think of SimplifyNYC as not just a service, but a philosophy about life that we pass on to every client with whom we work. Our backgrounds are both in the performing arts. Through intense study of the arts, we gained greater perspective on how to tell a clear narrative, how best to determine focus and articulate goals. We think of your life and your home similarly. Too much clutter obscures clarity. Our goal is to better your quality of life by ridding it of negative, cluttered space and creating a clear, safe space outside the hustle and bustle of NYC. To reach us directly click here and follow us on Instagram.
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